Warmer, longer and summery days are upon us – or at least technically they are, even if the British weather doesn’t prove it. Kids will be home sooner for the summer than we think, and keeping them entertained is a difficult and expensive task for five weeks of the summer. Perhaps, you need to save a bit of cash for your upcoming holiday, at home or abroad, so cleaning your car yourself is one way to avoid unnecessary expenses.

Keeping your car clean, not only provides a few hours of entertainment for the kids, it eradicates those nasty end of lease charges; boosting its re-sale value if kept in a tip top condition. Having a clean car, will in turn give you a clean mind and ensure you’re able to do as many road trips as possible in your spotless car!

Photo credit: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

So here’s your handy guide to car cleaning yourself!

Firstly, pick a warm (ish) day, when your car will dry quickly after being washed in your front driveway. Make sure if your kids are involved, your car is on a driveway, and not on the road for safety at all times.

Start with the interior…

The interior can be slightly tricky to tackle in your quest to find old biscuits, empty wrappers and never-ending dust levels. A shiny interior can be easy to do; with the right equipment. Use an electrostatic dust cloth to sweep the dashboard, knobs, vinyl surfaces, plastic trims on the doors and gearbox. You can use an all-purpose cleaner (even one with a nice scent to it) to wipe down the surfaces. The gear stick is slightly fiddlier, so all you need to do is pull the leather away, and use the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner to remover dirt. Then use your cloth to thoroughly clean it.

Photo credit: Dmytro Zinkevych/Shutterstock

Onto the floor and seats next…

Once you have dusted down the surfaces, your car will already be glistening. All you need to do now are the seats and hoover the floor. So begin, by removing the floor mats, both at the front and back of the car. Rubber mats are preferably the best as they are simpler to clean; and only need washing town with a hose pipe. Slide the front seats back and vice versa to ensure you reach every nook and cranny. You can also tilt the back seats forward and use the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner to reach areas that are too tight.

Photo credit: SpeedKingz/Shutterstock

Time to see clearly out of your windows…

Your windows will need the most amount of TLC as at the end of day, dirty windows can cause distraction on the road! Again you can use soapy water and a clean cloth and thoroughly wipe down all windows, both in and out. You should also wind down the windows to get the grub that sits at the top.